APA Citation:
Madigan, L.K. (2009). Flash Burnout. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-19489-9 Award: 2010 William C. Morris Award Winner Summary:
This book is about a typical teenage boy named Blake. He has an older jock brother, a new girlfriend, and an interesting but very stable home life with his mom as a hospital chaplin and his dad as a medical examiner. Life for Blake was steadily moving along until a photography class assignment where he took a photo of what he thought was just a passed-out druggie, but turned out to be his friend Marissa’s mother. Blake gets roped into Marissa’s wild life of chasing her addicted mother and eventually breaking into the medical examiner’s office to see if her mother is there. The drama with Marissa eventually leads him to betray his girlfriend Shannon in the end and destroys his reputation at school while Marissa skips town to chase down her mother again. Critique:
Over I liked this book because the characters were very defined by author which made them interesting. I liked the art show at the end because the series that were on display filled in some gaps about other character’s stories and summed up Blake and Marissa’s friendship. I did not like the author’s over use of the word luscious. Curriculum Connection: Grades 9-10
KY.9-10.R.F.SC.4 Students will use a variety of reading strategies to understand vocabulary and texts. Genre: Realistic Fiction Classroom activity using Developing Content Area Literacy:
Strategy 14: Conflict Dissection
Before: Prior to reading the text students will define conflict and resolution on descriptive webs and collaborate as a class to finalize definitions.
During: Students will use the chart modeled in Strategy 14 for note taking on conflicts and resolutions that arise between the main character Blake and other key characters in the story: Marissa, Shannon, and the Trickster in groups.
After: Groups will meet and discuss final thoughts and as a class each group will defend their findings.
Madigan, L.K. (2009). Flash Burnout. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-19489-9
Award: 2010 William C. Morris Award Winner
Summary:
This book is about a typical teenage boy named Blake. He has an older jock brother, a new girlfriend, and an interesting but very stable home life with his mom as a hospital chaplin and his dad as a medical examiner. Life for Blake was steadily moving along until a photography class assignment where he took a photo of what he thought was just a passed-out druggie, but turned out to be his friend Marissa’s mother. Blake gets roped into Marissa’s wild life of chasing her addicted mother and eventually breaking into the medical examiner’s office to see if her mother is there. The drama with Marissa eventually leads him to betray his girlfriend Shannon in the end and destroys his reputation at school while Marissa skips town to chase down her mother again.
Critique:
Over I liked this book because the characters were very defined by author which made them interesting. I liked the art show at the end because the series that were on display filled in some gaps about other character’s stories and summed up Blake and Marissa’s friendship. I did not like the author’s over use of the word luscious.
Curriculum Connection: Grades 9-10
KY.9-10.R.F.SC.4 Students will use a variety of reading strategies to understand vocabulary and texts.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Classroom activity using Developing Content Area Literacy:
Strategy 14: Conflict Dissection
Before: Prior to reading the text students will define conflict and resolution on descriptive webs and collaborate as a class to finalize definitions.
During: Students will use the chart modeled in Strategy 14 for note taking on conflicts and resolutions that arise between the main character Blake and other key characters in the story: Marissa, Shannon, and the Trickster in groups.
After: Groups will meet and discuss final thoughts and as a class each group will defend their findings.